Humidifier for internal-combustion engines



G. W. BLACK AND LE ROY A. HANNAN.

HUMWDIFIER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 191a.

Z6 0 o mmmfow Z Gin/1% M 4 as I r mixture. the medium of our improveddevice mingles rrn s'rAEENr orro GEORGE W. BLACK, OF PUEBLO, AND LE ROYA. HANNAN, 01? DENVER, COLORADO.

HUMIDIFIER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30, 192th.

Application filed May 2, 1918. Serial No. 232,176.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. BLACK and LE Box A. HANNAN, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Pueblo,.Pueblo county, and the city andcounty of Denver and State of Colorado, respectively, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvementsin Humidifiers forInternal-Combustion Engines; and we do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thecharacters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

Our invention relates to improvements in means for introducing moist airinto internal combustion engines. Our object is to provide an efficientdevice of this character which shall at the same time be simple inconstruction and economical in cost.

Our improvement consists of a casing preferably conveniently attached tothe dash board of the automobile on the inside where the engine withwhich the device is employed is mounted on a motor vehicle, otherwisethe device may be supported in any suitable location. This casing isconnected with a conduit for introducing moist air thereto, this airpassing thence from the casing into a cone shaped depending member whichis perforated for the purpose, and thence through a pipe which extendsdownwardly into the cone shaped member, and thence through a valve intoa pipe which leads to the intake of the engine. The interior of thecasing is constructed withspecial reference to the prevention of water,either of'condensation or overflow from the radiator,- from passing intothe engine intake, thecasing being provided with an outlet at the bottomfor the escape of such water. This bottom outlet also makes provisionfor the entrance of air which mingles with the moist air or vapor andaids in producing the proper explosive The -moist air supplied throughwith the charge of gas which enters the intake manifold from thecarbureter.

Having briefly outlined our improvement, we will proceed to describe thesame in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing inwhich is illustrated an embodiment thereof. In this drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through our improveddevice.

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line 22, Fig. 1 lookingdownwardly.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 8-3, Fig. 1 through the coneshaped member of our device viewed in the direction indicated by thearrows.

Fig. 4 is an outline elevation of an internal combustion engine, showingthe dash board of a motor vehicle in section. In this View our improveddevice is illustrated on a smaller scale.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 4 looking toward theleft, the parts being shown on a much larger scale.

Fig. 6 is a section taken similar to that of Fig. 5 but showing aslightly modified form of construction.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a casing which is secured to an anglebracket 6 whose vertical arm 7 is secured to the dash board 8 of a motorvehicle by means of suitable fastening devices, as screws 9. The

horizontal arm 10 of this angle bracket is slotted, as shown at 12, toreceive a threaded sleeve 13 of a valve casing 20, the said sleeve afterpassing through the slot 12 being threaded into the upper extremity of apipe 14 which is connected with the upper end of the casing 5, the saidpipe 14 extending downwardly into a cone shaped member 15, the base ofthis member being secured, as shown at 16, to the top of the casing onthe inside, While the apex of the cone is located well down in thecasing somewhat below the inner open extremity of the pipe 14:. Thiscone shaped member is provided with a number of perforations 17 arrangedsomewhat above its vertical center. These perforations allow moist airto enter the cone shaped member from the chamber of the casing 5 andpass thence upwardly through the pipe 14 into the valve casing 20 andthence through a conduit 18 to the intake head 24 for convenience ofmanipulation.

The valve is manipulated by rotating the said stem. The casingchamber'is divided into upper and lower compartments 25 and 26 by meansof a horizontally disposed partition 27 which is secured to the-casingby means of points 28 which space the periphcry of the partition fromthe adjacent surface of the casing, thus placing the two compartments 25and 26 in communication through openings 29. These openings which areadjacent the inner surface of the wall of the casing leave ample roomfor any water of condensation or other character to pass downwardly intothe lower compartment 26 of the casing and pass out of the casingthrough a nipple 30, which as shown in the drawing is secured in thelower reduced end 31 of the casing. To the outer extremity of thisnipple is attached a flexible tube 32. The flexibility of this tubemakes it practicable to adjust it so that the discharge of water maytake place at any desired point. This is important, since the devicewill not always be attached in the same relative position on everyautomobile. Furthermore,'the arrangement of-the mechanism on differentautomobiles varies and it will be understood that the tube through whichthe water discharges should be so adjusted that the discharge will takeplace at such point that it will not injure any mechanism of the engineor other part of the automobile.

Furthermore, this open ended flexible tube 32 allows atmospheric air toenter the casing and mingle with the moist air which enters the casingthrough a relatively small conduit 33, one extremity of this conduitbeing threaded into a nipple an secured in a perforation formed in thecasing and communicating with the upper compartment thereof. Theopposite end of the conduit 33 may communicate with the space in theradiator 35 of the engine above the water level therein as indicated bydotted lines in Fig. 4 which show. a short pipe member 36 which iscontinuous with the conduit 33, the latter passing through a nipple 37inserted in a perforation formed in a bushing 38 which is inserted in anopening formed in the rear wall of the'radiator and with which aflexibleconduit member 39 is connected, this conduit member being one of thebranches through which the cooling water supplied to'the jackets of theengine cylinders, circulates. If desired, the conduit 33, instead ofextending upwardly into the space of the radiator above the normalliquid level, as indicated by dotted lines as shown at 36,

' may be connected with the hose pipe or conduit39, in which event itpasses through anipple 40 (see Fig." 6) which is inserted 1n an openingformed'in the conduit and clamped in place by a nut 41 which coiiperateswith an opposing collar d2. liquid tight joint may be formed around theconduit 33 in this form of construction by employing a coupling member14 which is From the foregoing description the use 7 and operation ofour improved device will be readily understood. WVhen the engine is inuse, the valve 'which'is controlled by the stem 22 which projectsthrough an opening in the dash board; may be opened, whereby moist airfrom the radiator or from the conduit'member 39 will enter the casing 5of our improved device above the partition2? and pass thence through theperforations 17 of the hollow cone shaped member 15, and thence,downwardly therein and into the lower open extremity of the dependingpipe member 14, thence through the valve casing 20 and through the pipe18 to the intake manifold 19 of the engine, where it mingles with'themixture of air and gasolene from the carbureter and roduces anexceedingly sensitive and jowertul explosive mixture for use in the exposion compartments of the engine' cylinders. The atmospheric air. whichenters the casing through the small opening at its lowerextremity withwhich the hose pipe 32 is connected also contributes to this result, asit supplies-- oxygen.

In the event that the boiling of the water in'the radiator should'result in the entrance of water into the casing 5, this water will passdownwardly through the openings 29 and escape at the bottom of thecasing and pass thence through the flexible conduit member 32. Theperforations 17 are so positioned that any liquid which enters the cas.

' walls, the cone having a relatively small base and beingofconsiderable length, whereby a slim pointed conicalexterior-isproduced.

It will be understood that it isimportanti to prevent moisture in liquidform from en tering the intake manifold of the engine and our improveddevice is constructed with, special-reference to the avoiding of thisdifli cultv. i i

obtained fromthe radiator or from'the. 'c'onduit member 39, the use ofthe deviceorthe function performed LtherebyQ isfthe same, though it isprobable 'that wherethe tube 33 is connected with the conduit member'39,

hether themoist air or vapor of waterisigl25 there will be greaterliability that water will enter the casing than where the moist air istaken from the upper part of the radiator above the water level therein.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casingdivided by a partition into upper and lower compartments, the partitionbeing arranged to leave openings between its outer edge and the Wall ofthe casing, the lower compartment having an opening at its lower end, aflexible open ended conduit communicating with said opening andconnected with the atmosphere, a conduit connecting the uppercompartment with a source of moist air, a hollow depending membersecured to the to of the casing and located entirely within the uppercompartment, said hollow member being open to moist air but closedagainst Water, an open ended depending pipe arranged Within the hollowmember, a conduit communicating at one extremity with said pipe and atits opposite extremity with the engine.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casinghaving an opening at the bottom communicating with the atmosphere, andan opening intermediate its extremities communicating with a source ofmoist air, a hollow cone shaped member whose base is secured to the topof the easing, said member being open to permit the entrance of moistair from the casing chamber but closed against the entrance of Water,the said hollow member being in communication at the top with theengine, through a depending open ended pipe arranged within the hollowmember.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

GEORGE W. BLACK. LE ROY A. HANNAN.

